How 5G will make our cities smarter?

For several years, the City of Luxembourg has been committed to becoming a "smart city". Some projects have already been carried out in this direction, and others, even more important, should see the light of day over the next few years. And 5G will speed up these developments.

All over the world, and in Luxembourg in particular, initiatives to make cities smarter are multiplying. This concept of "smart cities" is intended to respond to the many environmental, social and societal challenges they face: population growth, mobility problems, insufficient infrastructure, high energy consumption, etc. How? By using new technologies to improve the quality and reduce the costs of urban services, whether in terms of mobility, housing, security or environment.

Data at the service of the smart city

Thanks to the deployment of electronic sensors, connected objects, networks and smart buildings, tomorrow's cities will be able to collect, in real time, a multitude of data concerning, for example, air quality, transport use, energy consumption, water supply networks, waste management, etc.

By connecting these data, it will be possible to better understand urban uses, reduce their environmental impact, optimize the services offered and manage the natural resources used more efficiently.

5G for a fully connected city

While it is already possible to put in place certain tools to move towards smarter cities, 5G will help accelerate their development. Because to become a reality, smart cities must be able to count on a reliable and ultra-fast connection, in all circumstances.

When millions of data are to be collected, connected and processed, a suitable network will be needed that can exploit this mass of data and support a very large number of simultaneous and instantaneous connections. Thanks to its high bandwidth, very high speed and great reactivity, 5G will support the existing technological networks on which the technological tools necessary for the connected city are based (fiber, public Wi-Fi, 4G, etc.), while having the advantage of not having to set up a wired infrastructure.

More pleasant and sustainable cities

5G will thus help to improve the daily lives of a city's inhabitants and visitors. By simplifying the development of the connected and autonomous car, this new generation of mobile network will, for example, make it possible to better manage mobility flows in real time, and thus reduce traffic jams and the related pollution. 5G will also facilitate the deployment of connected video protection cameras that will make our cities safer. Furthermore, it will be possible to equip urban furniture and buildings with sensors, thus ensuring better energy management, adapting it to real needs.

With 5G, we are definitely on our way to the city of tomorrow!